Merlin's Mark
by Phantom Paradox 2
Summary: Story of Harry's 6th Year (Order of the Phoenix spoilers) in which he meets a mysterious man, travels to America briefly, and returns to an interesting school year w all of our favorite characters, and has the standard (but a little different this time) b


**A/N:**  This is my first Harry Potter fan-fiction, but I hope you enjoy it never less.  It takes place FOLLOWING the _Order of the Phoenix_; so if you haven't read it, abstain from this one for now.  It has some oft-used concepts, but still remains original.  You will meet 4 primary new characters that some will hate and some will love.  If you have any specific complaints, or questions, e-mail me at phantom_paradox_2@yahoo.com.  Please click review at end of the chapter, thank you.

Disclaimer:  I own nothing in this world except the original characters and locations.  J.K. Rowling and Co. own everything else.

**Chapter One**

Harry Potter of Number 4 Privet Drive was currently sleeping.  He was having a very interesting dream, one that consisted of a tall man dressed in a dark blue robe standing at the foot at the bed.  The fact that this wasn't a dream had barely registered when the tall man flicked his wand and a pail of water was dropped on Harry's head.

The man chuckled as Harry sat up and shook his head, his messy black hair sending water spraying everywhere.  "Sorry about that Harry, but I had to wake you up somehow," the man said.  Harry decided he liked the man, he spoke gently, but had a power radiating off him that put Dumbledore's to shame.

"Who are you?"  Harry asked rather bluntly.  "And weren't there less...messy ways of waking me up?"  Harry mumbled this last part of this under his breath, but the man laughed anyway.  

"There were, but there's no fun in that.  You kids are too serious nowadays, no time for having fun.  Why, back when I was young... but I regress, I can't tell you my name right now, Mr. Potter, but I assure you that I mean you no harm, and no, I was not sent here by Albus either."  He said the last part as Harry opened his mouth, leading him to wander if he was skilled in occulmency.  "I come here on my own agenda, for I have a favor to ask of you.  I presume Albus has told you of the prophecy?"  He waited as Harry nodded, a slight frown on his face.  "Very well.  The part of the prophecy that states of the power he knows not is rather vague.  I am how you will receive this power, along with a few other of my pupils-to-be.  Four, to be exact.  The five of you will defeat Voldemort, with the help of others, too, of course.  You will find all the information you will need in this book."  With a snap of his fingers, a large tome appeared in his hand.  "Read this, and I will be back tomorrow with further instruction."  He turned to leave, then turned back around again, "Oh, and do not mention my appearance here to anyone, not your friends, not Albus, not anyone.  Understood?"  

Harry nodded mutely, as the man nodded at him and then seemed to melt away. 

"Well.  That was officially odd," Harry muttered, glancing down at the book.  The title read, Merlin's Mark: The Power Unleashed.  The Authors name was blank, but Harry had a feeling that the mysterious man was indeed the author of the book, and that there was more to that tall man than there seemed.  

            Again Harry shrugged, lay down on the bed, opened the book and began to read.  The first page was blank, except for a small note that said, _do not proceed unless you are willing to die for the cause, the book will kill you otherwise.  _This gave Harry a bit of a shock, but then he thought, _am I willing to die for the cause?  Do I really have a choice?  I will die for it, unless I use this power to defeat him, so I say I definitely am.  _Harry flipped the page and felt a surge of golden light flow through him, setting every hair on his body on end.  Harry hovered a few inches off the bed and stayed that way for a full minute before he was slammed down onto the bed.  Harry was rather shaken, but he glanced down at the book and it was open to the second page.  

            It read, _Chapter One:  The history of the mark.  _Harry thought to himself that this might be something Hermione would be more interested in, but he was intrigued neverless.  _This mark is thought by many to be legendary, a symbol of power adorned by only the renowned Merlin himself, but I know otherwise.  I know that Merlin is indeed the creator and only wearer of this mark, but there are to more to come.  Five more, in fact.  These five will be hand-picked by Merlin himself, and yes, he is still alive.  Perhaps a little lesson on Merlin is in order.  Merlin will live as long as he chooses to, until he anoints his heir to take his place.  Only the people who have read this book know this for a fact, and he is a bit of a mystery, for no one truly knows what he looks like, as the public only has fictitious pictures based on the only true information available on Merlin, his height.  Enough about Merlin, and more about his mark.  Merlin created his mark to help control his nearly infinite power.  The mark allows you total control over unlimited magical power.  You heard me right, unlimited control over unlimited magical power.  This mark could be disastrous if fallen into the wrong hands, so there is a precaution in place.  Only Merlin can administer the mark, and he can control the amount of power you can access if he feels you are abusing his power.  No one knows when Merlin will choose his prophesized five, but it is sure to be soon.  _

Harry was a bit shocked.  Merlin was alive?  UNLIMITED POWER?  Was that guy insane?  _Wait a minute... was that guy MERLIN?  _Harry shook his head and continued to read the rest of the book.  The rest of the book was more history of Merlin's life, and of why he came up with the mark.  It had the restrictions (which were few) and the powers (of which there were many) of the mark.  The section that caught Harry's attention was the following:  _The shape the mark takes on the bearer's arm has been said to vary from person to person.  Merlin's is a midnight blue flame on his right forearm.  The mark takes the form of the person's soul, which is why it will vary on the chosen five.  Harry inwardly wondered what his mark would appear as.  He also wondered who the other chosen four were; he hoped he could tolerate them.  Harry finished the tome and placed it under the loose floorboard under his bed.  _

            He glanced at the clock – it read 10:13 in the morning.  Harry smirked.  Mad-eye really scared his aunt and uncle, they didn't even force him to leave the room, and let him forage in the kitchen for food on his own time.  He stretched and ambled downstairs.  On the way, he noticed his cousin's door was open, and was empty, which surprised him.  Dudley could usually be counted upon to be on his bed playing video games 10-15 hours a day during the summer, when he wasn't out with his gang terrorizing little kids.

            Once he arrived downstairs, he noticed Dudley waddling out the door with Piers Polkiss and a few of his other friends, and he chuckled silently.  The duo reminded him strongly of Crabbe and Goyle minus the person to guard.  Harry proceeded into the kitchen to make himself a sandwich (grape jelly and banana) that Ron had gotten him hooked on at Sirius's place last summer.  Thinking of Sirius quickly threw Harry into a somber mood, and he went out into the backyard to brood.

            Harry lay down under a tree to think about Sirius and how much he would miss him.  Harry knew that it was indirectly his fault Sirius was dead.  Harry also knew that Sirius wouldn't want Harry to blame himself, and he was likely happy where he was, finally being with his best friend after 15 years.  Harry gave a wry smile at the thought of his parents.  How sure he had been, several times, that he would go and join his parents in the afterlife at the hands of Voldemort, but fate intervened every time.

            Time passed by as Harry reflected on his friends, both old and new.  Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and others.  Neville sure had come into his own at the fight at the ministry building, and Ginny and Luna had handled themselves well.  Ron and Hermione had been severely attacked, and he hoped they would have no long-term affects that he could blame upon himself.  He thought of Cho and the news that she was seeing the Ravenclaw boy, Michael something.  He found that he really didn't care, which pleased him.  With this last thought, Harry fell asleep under the old yew tree.

A/N:  Well, this is the end of Chapter one, I would appreciate it if you would hit that little review box below, and thank you ahead of time.  More on Merlin's Mark next chapter, and I only wish to ask that you read a few chapters before you decide to drop it... I really think the plot as well as the new characters will add spice to the story.


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